Globe Magazine February 2019 by globe magazine gibraltar

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Globe Magazine Gibraltar

FEBRUARY 2019

www.issuu.com/globemagazineonline

CONTENTS

Nº 190 - FEBRUARY 2019 06

THE KING AND I

BEHIND THJE SCENES WITH G.Y.P.T. AT THE COVER SHOOT

MAXIMILIAN BUSSER

THE LAMBORGHINI SC18

THE ‘GIBRALTAR CLASSICS’ TRANSPORT MEMORABILIA AND HALL OF FAME THERESA MAY THE WORST PRIME MINISTER EVER? DAVID CAMERON GOT BRITAIN INTO THIS MESS

ALEX FORRIOLS FROM ‘LA VOZ’ SHINES IN NEW MARBELLA SHOW

THE LOST REINDEER

PROTECTING YOUR EYES DURING SPORTS

THE 6TH GIBRALTAR INTERNATIONAL JAZZ FESTIVAL CONCERT

THE 2018 POLAR BEAR SWIM

THE BEST RECIPES OUR CUISINE

WHAT’S HAPPENING DOWN TOWN?

COSMETIC SURGERY: BREAST AUGMENTATION

ESTRELLA GALICIA 1906 ‘RESERVA ESPECIAL’

WINTER PARTY IN TOWN 2018

REFURBISHMENT OF KING GEORGE VI LETTERBOX AT ALAMEDA ESTATE

SONGWRITER KRISTIAN FINALLY MAKES IT

RESEARCHERS FIND PATHOLOGICAL SIGNS OF ALZHEIMERS IN DOLPHINS WHOSE BRAINS ARE MUCH LIKE HUMANS

THE 2019 THREE KINGS’ CAVALCADE

THE ADMIRAL CASINO TROPHY

THE HUNTER PROPERTIES TROPHY

CREDITS Front Cover Models: from left to right; Kontira Chaowutthiprasit, Saowapa Torres, Pattama Desoiza & Atchara Chaowutthiprasit Photography: G.Y.P.T. (Gibraltar Youth Production Team): Lauren Birt, Bianca Pisharello, Aroa Nuñez & Charlene Figueras Globe Magazine is published by Globe Magazine Registered Address: Suites 31 & 32 Victoria House, 26 Main Street, GIBRALTAR · TEL: 20041129 Mailing Address: 4 Laburnum Lodge, Montagu Gardens, GIBRALTAR

www.issuu.com/globemagazineonline No part of this publication may be reproduced without written permission from Globe Magazine Printed by Globe Magazine Designed by TGDOR If you wish to advertise in this magazine, please phone: (00350) 58369000 - (0034) 620 182224 Tel: (00350) 20041129 E-mail: globemagazine@gibtelecom.net

Globe Magazine Gibraltar The views and opinions expressed by contributors to this magazine may not necessarily represent the views of the publishers. CONDITIONS: Globe Magazine cannot accept responsability for the claims, goods or services of advertisers. The publishers make every effort to ensure that the magazine’s contents are correct, but cannot accept responsibility for the effects of errors or omissions.

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The King and I Lek Bangkok and the Siamese connection

Text by Joe Adambery

The former kingdom of Siam is now known as Thailand and the Royal Family of Siam once had close ties with Queen Victoria, who on her golden jubilee in 1887, invited the Crown Prince of Siam to Gibraltar for the jubilee celebrations here. Fast forward to 6 GLOBE MAGAZINE

the present day 131 years later and we still have a strong Thai connection with the ‘Lek Bangkok’ Restaurant in Europort, which is considered the unofficial Thai embassy here, as more and more locals travel to that beautiful part of the world and seek first hand information from the amiable proprietor ‘Mr Feed’.

Celebrating their 13th year in business here, ‘Feed’ and ‘Lek’ were more than happy to tell us their own story and weave it around the Hollywood film of ‘The King and I’, which featured Yul Bryner and also their crown prince (Rama 4th) as a child. Years ago in 1999 before ‘Lek Bangkok’ existed, a significant historical and beautiful lithograph, gathe-

ring dust in a local antique shop, caught the attention of the Thai couple; they bought it and had it framed to later reinforce the story of the Thai Royal Connection with the Rock. It now hangs proudly in ‘Lek Bangkok’ as a good omen and their personal lucky charm. It’s also a source of stories for those who may wish to hear them from Feed. There

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we can control the quality in every single step of cooking. Whatever we were doing in 2005, we still do today. In our busy kitchen, we have to close two days a week, one day for deep cleaning and the other day for food preparation.’ The health inspectors regularly congratulate the couple for their stringent quality standards and Lek considers that it could bring bad luck if they lied, so all the pre-cut food and veggies are clearly labelled and date stamped. Nothing gets through that isn’t top quality and fresh. “We have a good system here, we have a good team and we cook on the spot so that everything is fresh; we don’t have microwave! Our customers know that we may take a little longer because we also do a lot of take-away service but they are happy to keep coming back. “They wait because they understand that good food freshly cooked takes more time.” Lek also proudly says that they don’t use chemicals and they count the neighbouring GHA staff of St Bernard’s as regular diners at ‘Lek Bangkok.’

have been many offers made for the lithograph, even from Thailand, but it’s not going anywhere. The couple take up the story at this point. “We came to Gibraltar in 1999 and during the first week here, we found this picture of our Royal Family and kept it, hoping that one day we would have a Thai restaurant here and a place to hang it. 8 GLOBE MAGAZINE

potatoes a lot.” There is much more to the secrets of Thai food and I wondered whether the restaurant could or would expand to capitalise on their success. Lek “In the beginning, we had to edu- was very quick to reply in a concate customers about Thai food, sidered way. which is a fusion of two cultures, the Chinese and Indian. We have “We are not greedy, we want to the noodles and also the curry. We continue to make quality food introduced sweet chillies to Gibral- rather than quantity and we want tar and we also use basil and sweet to remain a family business so that We considered this picture to be a good omen for us and in 2005, we opened ‘Lek Bangkok.’ The rest as they say is history.

Their team in the kitchen currently includes a microbiologist and an animal science graduate. They only employ staff, who have a quality food and health background through studies or hotel work. Number 93 on the menu is their top selling dish - a beef curry in brandy sauce cooked slowly in coconut milk and red curry. The locals also go for number 67 (Bangkok fried rice with chicken and much more) - their soup is a firm favourite too. Lek stresses that they cook to the customer’s taste, meaning that their spices can be graded as very mild, mild, medium, spicy, very hot and extra hot. “We

adapt everything in our food to Here on the Rock, they still have the Gibraltarian tastes”. that philosophy; they win our hearts with food and charm. You Back to history - In the days of really would be hard put to find a the British Empire, Siam was nicer couple to chat to. not conquered because they had been prepared to talk. They lear- Having sampled their culinary nt the English language and took skills, I would add that you would the best food traditions that they also have difficulty in finding could from their neighbours, Chi- better Thai food anywhere in na and India, and through diplo- southern Europe. This couple are macy, stayed out of the fighting. so happy here that they are not

going to change anything. Their philosophy is that you can easily get to number one, but to stay at number one, you have to be consistently very good and work hard to satisfy your customers all the time. In 13 years, ‘Lek Bangkok’ has changed their pricing only three times.

we have a team of 9 people here, mostly Thai and we are always happy to serve good food honestly made.”

For Bookings and Reservations, phone Lek Bangkok on: 200 48881, e-mail: lek@lekbangkok. com or visit their facebook page: www.facebook.com/lekbangkok Lek has the last word: “I don’t and their web page: www.lekbanwant to be rich I want to be happy, gkok.com GLOBE MAGAZINE 9

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Behind the Scenes with the G.Y.P.T. (The Gibraltar Youth Production Team) at the Cover Shoot

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Maximilian Büsser

Article by Courtesy of Watch & Bullion

While you may find Maximilian Büsser on the cover of a watch magazine or the floor of SIHH, make no mistake to presume he is just a watchmaker. What Büsser is first and foremost is an artist in every sense of the word, something best represented by the following quote: “if you’re just interested in having the time, or even worse to have status, don’t come and see us … you’re not worthwhile” He was born 1967 in Milan, the son of a Swiss diplomat and an Indian mother. At age four the family moved to Switzerland where he spent the rest of his youth, graduating in 1991 from the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne with a Masters in Microtechnology engineering. It was by chance that he first set foot into the watch industry when he met HenryJohn Belmont on a Ski slope. The Former 12 GLOBE MAGAZINE

CEO of Jaeger-Lecoultre held the realms of a struggling watch brand when he recognised Büsser’s potential and offered him a Job. Here Maximilian’s taste for risk first took form, as rather than taking a cushy job he decided to help restore Jaeger to former glory. Suffice to say their plan worked. After seven years, in 1998, he switched horses to the then also struggling Harry Winston to become their head of the watch division at only 31 years of age. Being responsible for the creation of the Opus series, he managed to raise revenue from 8 to 80 million a year. Having now taken major risks twice, most people would sit back, settle down, and work on their retirement. It was at this stage that Max however truly showed his colours, as he rejected a promotion, quite his job, and took all of his money to found MB&F in 2005. MB&F was an uphill battle from the start, requiring not only close to 1 million in personal capital, but also several advances to

come up with the parts. Further, to make his unique visions reality he had to call in favours from other independent watchmakers. What exactly where these so very ambitious visions? Well MB&F is not in the business of making watches, no, they are in the business of making what Maximilian calls “Horological Machines” Same difference you might think, whats the difference between a watch and a horological machine? To explain what and more importantly why Maximilian does what he does you have to look at his companies slogan “A creative adult is a child that survives”. Max is in the business of art, he recognized the shift in the industry where displaying the time became a secondary function of a watch. While some may clammer on to their “tool watches” and call his creations pretentious or lacking utility, I consider them self-aware if anything. After all, it would have been definitely easier and probably more financially lucrative to

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make characterless designs and spend the rest of their capital on product placements and brand ambassadors. Therefore he considers the time telling function his canvas on which he can paint as he likes, not having to be restricted by such boring things like practicality. Unusual watches are created through unusual methods, and so the entire company and its process is a reflection of Maximilian himself. He consciously limits his team to a maximum of 20 people, being aware of the creativitykilling effects of middle management. That, of course, limits how many watches he can produce, which is around 300 per year. Despite these self-set limitations, however, MB&F makes a revenue in excess of 10 million

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dollars a year. That can of course only be done through very high prices, so high that the CEO himself says he can’t afford his own watches. For that price however you gain entrance to an exclusive club of some of the most hard-core watch enthusiasts. To give some perspective on the scale of their production, if you count together all the watches MB&F ever produced, it would be the same amount of timepieces Patek manufactures in about a week. Having himself experienced the troubles of trying to make a living with art, Büsser said his company was close to shutting its doors already three times, now he is looking towards giving back. Through his M.A.D. galleries, he grants exposure to artists who produce mechanical and kinetic art by buying their

art and putting it on display. Through such methods, he has presented to the world already the works of Bob Potts, Gaby Wormann, and Chicara Nagata, who all after years of struggle now get the attention they are worthy of. How do you sum up then a blog on Büsser? The man defies categories and has in my eyes been the most influential and beneficial person for the watch industry of the last decade. To say he is the creator of MB&F really fails to do justice to both his achievements as well as his ambitions. Usually, I would say that it will be many years before we will see someone in the industry like him again, but the true hope is that he will inspire a new generation of people to question the old brands and create new ones, who knows, maybe one of them has even read this blog.

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The Lamborghini SC18 Lamborghini Squadra Corse unveiled the SC18, the first one-off in the history of the Sant’ Agata Bolognese motorsport division. The unique example, designed in synergy with the customer and Centro Stile Lamborghini, is road approved but designed primarily for use on the track. The Lamborghini SC18 paves the way to

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further personalized development cán GT3 EVO; the sides and rear projects for motorsport customers feature fenders, fins and airscoops are inspired by the Huracán Suunder the Squadra Corse brand. per Trofeo EVO. The aerodynamic The car features extreme aero- system is completed by a large cardynamics, developed specifically bon fiber wing with three mechafor this model and derived from nical adjustments, able to generate Squadra Corse’s experience in the optimal downforce on any circompetition. The racing elements cuit. In addition, the twelve air instart from the front hood, with air takes formed on the rear hood - a intakes in the style of the Hura- solution already tested successfu-

lly in endurance races - increase heat exchange and improve the cooling of the V12 engine. The power-train is top-of-theline Lamborghini, delivering the performance of a true racing car: the aspirated 6498 cm3 V12 delivers 770 hp at 8,500 rpm and a torque of 720 Nm at 6,750 rpm, all handled via the ISR (Independent Shifting Rod) optimized seven-speed gearbox. The huge power is combined with reduced weight thanks to the use of

ultralight materials and the new carbon fiber body, with ground clearance of just 109 mm. The rear is characterized by the specific exhausts and terminals with a unique design and sound.

The exclusiveness of the Lamborghini SC18 is underlined by the colour of the carbon fiber body in the Grigio Daytona (grey), with visible details and red screen-printing to enhance

its sportiness. The cockpit features interiors in Nero Ade (black) Alcantara with cross-stitching in Rosso Alala (red), and carbon fiber bucket seats. The look is completed by the single nut wheels,

20â&#x20AC;? on the front and 21â&#x20AC;? on the rear, with specially developed Pirelli P Zero Corsa tires and a telemetry system to measure all aspects of performance on the track.

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The ‘Gibraltar Classics’ Transport Memorabilia and Hall of Fame at 4a Ragged Staff

Text by Joe Adambery Photographs by Photofinish

We always needed a venue like this one and it took a long time coming but now that it’s here I wonder why it didn’t happen before. Housed in a spectacular brick vaulted converted building of huge proportions, we have just opened a new multi facet venue, which is historic and will serve the history of Gibraltar, tourists and locals in a unique way. Back in the day, it was an old pump house 20 GLOBE MAGAZINE

for Fortress Gibraltar and as such, it’s bombproof, so the vaulted ceiling, which joins our historic City Walls below the old Bishop Fitzgerald School have provided a unique setting to house memorabilia, like framed vintage photographs, and historic items of mechanical transport. You could describe it as a walk-in auditorium/ bar restaurant/ theatre-like, conference and events hall, but it can be more flexible than that because the brick vaults, which have been carefully restored and preserved offer huge spaces for exhibits or to hang large format paintings (in a historically sensitive way).

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An eye catching feature of the long bar are the four overhead copper beer vats, which gravity feed gas-free beer and give the place a sense of being in a brewery, as well as, a themed venue. A five feet high stage at the end of the hall means it can also be configured for general presentations or light theatrical productions too. It’s truly worth seeing how well the conversion has given new life to a stone monolith, which had been neglected for years. “The idea goes back to 1992 when ‘Rock on the Rock’ was born and I wanted to have a venue for music, culture and transport memorabilia all housed in the same building” says Albert Parody, who was showing us around. “Being an older guy now, I wanted a venue to feature, among other things, music of the classic years, the 70s, 80s and 90s. When the tender for this place came out, I saw the wonderful possibilities that it offered and here we are.”

aware of our history, I wanted to fit in and not stand out from so many younger people, who go to all the venues here.”

“‘Hall of Fame’ can sit a hundred for dinner, a hundred and fifty for conferencing and two hundred for stand-up receptions and that is a conservative estimate, because we have the space and we are flexible in how we can use it. At the moment, it’s a bar restaurant but as you look around you are surrounded by memorabilia. And we are still awaiting delivery of more items such as a limited edition HMS Victory model, which will be placed below the painting, which I bought from Christie’s in the UK. One very good reason why I wanted to have a place like this is because as I got older and more

Every new enterprise in our community is laudable but here we have this ‘Hall of Fame’, just a stone’s throw away from Trafalgar Cemetery, which will flourish as a memorabilia events hall among its other welcome features. We at Globe Magazine salute them and wish them good fortune in the venture.

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I could identify with that sentiment as I feel very old when I go to the ‘Rock on the Rock’ Club. This venue is aimed squarely at the ‘vintage generation’ as suggested by a picture of John Lennon and Yoko Ono on their wedding day on the Rock, which hangs prominently over the comfortable chill out area armchairs near the entrance. Soon a picture of Carlos Santana will also adorn that wall too. Albert Parody was instrumental in bringing Santana to play at Victoria Stadium in 1992. Pride of place on the right wall, as you enter, is a framed photograph of a royal visit by King George V in 1905. He’s with full regalia and notably a beautiful horse drawn carriage in front of Parliament house in Main Street.

For Bookings and Reservations, phone them on: 200 67788, e-mail: halloffame.gibraltar@gmail.com or visit their facebook page: www.facebook. com/halloffamegib

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Theresa May the worst Prime Minister ever? David Cameron got Britain into this mess Text By Nicholas Allen (Reader In Politics, Royal Holloway)

www.theconversation.com

Following the government’s catastrophic defeat in the House of Commons the UK Prime Minister, Theresa May, is coming under enormous criticism for her handling of the ‘Brexit’ withdrawal agreement. Some people may even be inclined to consider her as a candidate for the worst prime minister ever. Such a judgement would be unfair. It also massively exaggerates the freedom for manoeuvre she has had over ‘Brexit’. At risk of over-simplifying, political leaders can be judged on the basis

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of both their goals and style. May is being damned on both grounds.

In terms of goals, May’s withdrawal agreement satisfies no-

body because, when it comes to Brexit, only “pure” positions are truly satisfactory. For the hardest of Brexiteers, who wish to get out of the European Union without a deal, anything other than a swift, clean break will be a failure. For overt and covert Remainers, anything that results in leaving the European Union will be a failure. However clumsily or stubbornly May has pursued her withdrawal agreement, she is doomed to be damned, at least in the short term, since she is seeking a middle way.

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It is worth pausing to consider the middle way she is pursuing. May seemed to interpret the 2016 referendum result as a backlash against uncontrolled immigration as much as a rejection of the EU. This interpretation was not wholly unreasonable. While the vote for ‘Brexit’ was far more complicated than that, there was no doubting the unease that many voters felt for the high levels of apparently uncontrolled immigration. In seeking to address this unease by ending free movement of labour, May was trying to respond to voters’ concerns. At the same time, she was also trying to lessen the economic and financial downside that almost everyone predicts will come from leaving the European Union. May’s withdrawal agreement was thus trying to be both responsive and responsible. She does not deserve to be pilloried for trying to balance these divergent if not contradictory considerations.

WAS CONSENSUS EVER REALLY POSSIBLE? Now we come to May’s style of leadership, and how she has gone about trying to secure passage of the withdrawal agreement.

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Many of May’s traits that are now negatively valued were positively valued back in June 2016, when she entered the race to succeed David Cameron. She wasn’t showy, nor was she clubbable. She was stubborn, dogged and committed to delivering what was asked of her. In the chaotic aftermath of the referendum, many were doubtless relieved that the government would now be led by a goal-oriented prime minister. May’s approach was to press ahead at full speed – insisting that

“Brexit means Brexit” – and try to railroad the departure through parliament. Unfortunately, from her point of view, she lacked a sufficiently robust parliamentary majority to act in this way. So, she promptly called a snap election once she had secured legislative assent and notified the EU of Britain’s intention to commence withdrawal negotiations under Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty.

her party’s vote share differently, May’s fortunes might have been very different. One esteemed political scientist, who shall go nameless, declared May a “strategic genius” in the immediate wake of her triggering the election. As we all know, May was certainly not a campaigning genius. The result was a minority government and very, very little room for parliamentary manoeuvre.

Had the 2017 general election campaign been shorter, and had At this point, as some seem to the voting system – Britain’s other argue, May should have changed national lottery —- translated direction and sought to build a

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have precluded single-party government on other matters and necessitated some sort of national government to underpin it. But there was as much appetite for a national government in the Commons in July 2016 after Cameron left and in June 2017 after the election debacle as there has been for the withdrawal agreement in January 2019. Those who say with hindsight that May should have proceeded by consensus are greatly exaggerating the possibility that she could have done so successfully. The trouble she is now in is not wholly of her making. It is fairer to attribute her troubles to her predecessor, David Cameron. It was his call to hold the referendum. It was his decision to leave this massive mess for someone else to clear up. He was a worse prime minister.

consensus around ‘Brexit’. But let us consider the plausibility of this alternative timeline. First, she would have been unable to govern if the hard ‘Brexiteers’ on her own benches had suspected there was going to be a very soft ‘Brexit’. They would almost certainly have withheld their votes on some matters and probably brought forward a no-confidence vote in her leadership. This point applies equally to the period immediately after the referendum when May still enjoyed a parliamentary majority. Indeed, it is doubtful that she (or anyone else) would have been elected Tory leader in July 2016 had she (or they) espoused compromise from the start. It was not what the party wanted. And, of course, over on the Labour benches, Jeremy Corbyn was facing a leadership challenge from Owen Smith. What kind of leader would have reached out to the opposing side ADVERSARIAL POLITICS when their own position was under threat? Third, all of this assumes that the Labour Party, or even a subsSecond, she would have alienated tantial number of Labour MPs, many in her party still further had would have been open to coopethere been any talk of close coo- ration with the government. This peration with Labour. To para- assumption is questionable. It is phrase Disraeli, England does not extremely unlikely that Corbyn, love compromise. But it does love or his activist base, would have adversarialism. Most politicians welcomed the chance to cooperate are tribal. with the Tories on ‘Brexit’ (or an-

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ything). Most Labour MPs would not have done either. In Britain, the buck stops with Her Majesty’s Government. The government is in power – ergo, the government is responsible. This mantra is fundamental to the British political culture. Fourth – and going further – any kind of close cross-party cooperation on ‘Brexit’ would probably

Put more positively, all premierships are massively constrained by the immediate political context. The nature of the ‘Brexit’ issue, coupled with deeply ingrained adversarialism at Westminster and the latent preference among many MPs to find a way around the referendum result, made May’s task extraordinarily difficult. Time will tell if it proves to be impossible. If anything, May deserves credit for having survived in office for so long in pursuit of compromise.

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Alex Forriols from ‘La Voz’ Shines in New Marbella Show

Singer Alex Forriols, who rose to fame in the hit show ‘La Voz’ (The Voice) in 2016, wowed the crowds at Posidonia Banus on Saturday 8th December last at the launch of the Posidonia Palace Show. His singing talent, stage presence and showmanship impressed, as he took on numbers as diverse as ‘Bohemian Rapsody’, ‘Roxanne’ and ‘Gangnam Style’. Alex Forriols performed with four incredible professional dancers from Madrid and aerial performer Yana from Fly Pole Spain, to create an engaging, interactive show. Highlights 30 GLOBE MAGAZINE

included a powerful, tango inspired aerial and dance routine to Roxanne from Moulin Rouge with incredible tricks on the pole, and a street dance routine from the dance troupe. When Yana performed in a hoop high above the crowds, accompanied by Alex singing a powerful rendition of ‘Creep’ by Radiohead, the guests were on their feet. DJ Duo E T H E R provided the soundtrack before and after the show, as well as, supporting the strong song and dance performances and kept the party going late into the night. Choreographed by Sibon de la Flor from

Creative Dance Style, this two hour dinner show Was repeated on the 15th and 22nd of December. Tickets cost 79€ per person and included the welcome drink, a delicious two-course menu and two hours of entertainment. “This is just the beginning of the packed calendar of great events at Posidonia Banus” commented Creative Director Silvia Korosi Feher. “We will have more great shows in 2019 and many exciting events such as dance classes, DJ nights, concerts and much more.” To find out about the latest events at Posidonia, follow them on Facebook @posidoniabanus

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The lost reindeer Flights to Gibraltar of all types are denied sometimes because of ‘crosswinds’ affecting our famous ‘Rock.’ For this reason, Christmas presents may have been scarce this year due to Santa not being able to land...What’s more, one of his team of reindeer has gone astray!

Text by Richard Cartwright

But as with all Christmas stories there is a happy ending but not before the often upsetting course of life’s sad realities are experienced: The festive season has arrived and kids are off school enjoying the yuletide holiday but young Gaby is on her way to work and mocked by her peers for wearing shabby clothes ‘just like Cinderella,’ one of them calls out. She’s off to do a cleaning job to earn a little money to help her sick mother and the family during this Christmas time. Her dad is no longer 32 GLOBE MAGAZINE

will work out in the end: Rudy the reindeer comforts Gaby by telling her to think positively and all will work out fine and Gaby reassures Rudy, Santa will definitely arrive to take him back... with or without the frustratingly annoying and dreaded ‘crosswinds,’ I’m sure!

around and she’s doing her bit to help. On her way she comes across something or someone which happens to be a reindeer

– a lost reindeer apparently – who needs to get home way up north. They make friends and assure each other everything

So GAMPA set the pace for the festive season as per usual staging a fine production once again displaying all that is taught at the now established performing arts academy. Even the ‘bullying theme’ is indirectly brought to the fore by the mean

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group of girls followed by a great performance by the, `Revolting Children’ wearing unpleasant, facial expressions and their intimidating moves declaring – as far as they are concerned - everything is `revolting!’.

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Meanwhile there’s a touching performance as Gaby misses her dad. Five flute players help to bring on a happier, joyful mood with their Christmassy tunes and then, off to New York we go with older members of the

GAMPA family enjoying Broadway and the many shopping avenues in Manhattan, making merry with more yuletide favourites accompanied by dance routines. I invariably like to make a mention of `what is one

to do on stage when you don’t have a singing, dancing or speaking part.’ For a start, don’t look glum! Groups of two and three making out they’re chatting naturally to each other is sometimes the answer and that, to my

want for Christmas is You,’ bringing the show to a happy end. I have just one, hopefully constructive critique. Perhaps Gaby and Rudy’s dialogue was a little repetitive throughout the evening, maybe one or two fewer appearances may have helped: Just an observation.

mind, the cast did very well (in Times Square I think). Also glad to see how speakers (Gaby and Rudy) wait for applause to subside before delivering their lines. In Part 2 a very young, promising, `cheeky’ presenter did his thing and on came the little ones to great applause as they went through their routine, guided by their tutors on either side of Ince’s Hall stage. More music provided by the GAMPA Musicians made up of brass, string and flute players who, it has to be said, are really coming along as a mini orchestra and pretty much in tune presenting us with more Christmas merriment! Singing was certainly evident throughout the performance by individuals, duos, groups and the Gibraltar Youth Choir and all the Christmas favourites were there from ‘White Christmas’

and `Santa Claus is Coming to Town’ through to more modern offerings like,` All I Want for Christmas is You’ and Lennon’s ‘War is Over.’ Rudy is very sad because, `Santa is not coming and how do I get home,’ she exclaims, and it really looked as if there’d be no Santa today on Christmas Eve! But look listen...‘Ho, Ho, Ho!’

A very familiar and there he is, right as rain, Santa Claus HAS come to town making all the children happy and Rudy the Reindeer even happier as he can now go home whilst the ‘goody girl’ in the `mean girl group’ got her wish. The ‘Meany Bunch’ would mend their ways and be nice and friendly to Gaby and others from now on hence, `So this is Christmas ‘and `All I

All in all however, ‘The Lost Reindeer’ – which in the end was thankfully lost no more – was indeed a very good presentation by all the cast, including those routines by Transitions Dance Academy and the Mediterranean Dance Studios, on three nights at `all seats taken’ performances. An original production by Christian Santos well put together and tightly delivered. GAMPA’s top man and his team have once again ‘done the job’ and done it needless to say, very successfully...

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Protecting your eyes during sports

sunglasses do not protect against eye injuries. Safety goggles should be worn over them.” They add; “Protective eyewear, which is made of ultra-strong polycarbonate, is ten times more impact resistant than other plastics, and does not reduce vision. All children, who play sports should use protective eyewear.”

According to Moorfield’s Eye Hospital in the United Kingdom, “Sport and recreational injuries are the biggest single cause of accidental eye injury in children. They are commoner in older children and in boys and can nearly always be prevented by wearing properly fitting protective eyewear.” High-risk sports and activities include anything using small fast projectiles such as shooting 36 GLOBE MAGAZINE

air rifles or playing paintball, basketball, baseball and softball, cricket, lacrosse, hockey, squash, racquetball, fencing, boxing, martial arts and golf. Cycling is also considered high risk due to the risk of road chippings, dust and flies getting into your eyes. This is a serious topic, which sporting bodies, eye health specialists and pressure groups are getting behind on a global

level. The National Eye Institute in the United States urges parents and coaches to encourage the use of protective eye wear in sports as “Eye injuries are the leading cause of blindness in children in the United States and most injuries occurring in school-aged children are sports-related. Ninety percent of sports-related eye injuries can be avoided with the use of protective eyewear. Ordinary prescription glasses, contact lenses, and

Optical group Specsavers recommend that children or adults taking part in any activities, which are considered high risk should wear protective eye wear. They advise that people, who wear glasses should be particularly careful as glasses can shatter on impact and cause serious injury. Sports glasses should be wrap around and follow the contours of your face, with a robust design and a polycarbonate lens. If playing sports outside, use tinted lenses, which offer UV protection. They can supply sports eyewear depending on your needs, as well as, safety eyewear to make sure your eyes are always protected. For questions about the different types of frames and lenses you should consider when taking part in sporting activities, it is best to ask your local optician for advice. Visit www.specsavers.es to find your nearest store

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The 6 Gibraltar International Jazz Festival Concert th

Photographs by Johnnie Bugeja

Jazz tunes and some seasonal festive classics too.

The Ministry of Culture has succeeded once again in bringing top international Jazz talent to the Rock. The concert that we enjoyed on Saturday 8th December last at St. Michael’s Cave was truly a spectacular big band event featuring The Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Orchestra under bandleader Pete Long with Georgina Jackson as vocalist and trumpet player. They whipped up a brass fest, storming through a classy set of popular

The concert kicked off with local quartet Malfunktion working their way through a set of funky tunes, some original and some classic and all of them aimed at whipping up a party mood in expectation of the famous Jazz band which was to follow them. Nick Gonzalez (Sax) was joined by pianist Juan Galiardo, vocalist Tom Rust, Marcelo Saenz on guitar, Nestor Gomez on drums and Burkhard Menn on bass.

Text by Joe Adambery

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Their set was committed to funk and they were not letting up by slowing down to a ballad, which would have extracted different dynamics to add to their sound. They finished their set serving up the ‘Earth Wind and Fire’ classic ‘September’ and they went down very well. The rest of the evening was pure brass heaven, a big band made up of the finest Jazz musicians from the UK supported by Georgina Jackson, a very fine vocalist, who is also a star trum-

pet player, all of them led by clarinet player and bandleader Pete Long, who was larger than life in his funny introductions and repartee. He also showed his class as a gifted woodwind player and expert arranger to showcase this band of musical talents playing at the top of their game. They divided their set into two halves and all of it was a well-oiled performance of tried and tested master class jazz, blended with popular classics from Ella Fitzgerald to The Beatles, to Holtz’ Planet Suites

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‘Venus’ and ‘Neptune’ and then passing through 70’s super band ‘Weather Report,’ original material, jazzed up festive classics and some from the great American Jazz standards catalogue. Throughout their performance all the musicians were introduced and given their ‘showcase’ moment in the spotlight. The audience responded warmly to 44 GLOBE MAGAZINE

all of them throughout, as we knew we were in the presence of music royalty. Some vocal highlights were The Beatles’ ‘Can’t Buy Me Love’, Ella Fitzgerald, Georgie Fame’s ‘Yeh Yeh’, and at the end, Louis Armstrong’s ‘What a Wonderful World’ where Georgina Jackson sang and blew spectacular trumpet as well. Because of the quality of the music and the

great interaction of Pete Long and Georgina with the audience, we all had a great time foot stomping and hand clapping, which led to the band getting a prolonged standing ovation. Certainly a concert to remember and this great band features at Ronnie Scott’s Club in London on the first Sunday of every month and worth checking out if you

can pre-book tickets. We have a Jazz Festival, which is growing in stature because of the quality of the acts we bring to it. This type of festival requires serious funding and not a lot of return can be expected from it except the kudos, for that alone, we are truly grateful because we get to see and enjoy the best. Well done to all, who had a hand in bringing this to fruition.

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The 2018 Gibraltar Polar Bear Swin The Polar Bear Swim or Dip is an event held during the winter whereby participants enter a body of water despite the low temperature! part of the fun and done in the best possible taste! Nonetheless, the latter find that it is the best possible cure for a hangover!

Photographs by Johnnie Bugeja

Gibraltar celebrated its annual Polar Bear Swim on Boxing Day as an overwhelming number of entrants joined in at Catalan Bay and Camp Bay for the event. Hundreds flocked for the charity event be it because of their need to raise awareness for their favourite charity or simply because of the need to ‘detox’ due to over-indulgence on Christmas Day. Either way, the fact of the matter is that a lot of fun was had by all as they braved the chilly waters despite the brief panic on entry! The one at Catalan Bay saw the largest participation with hundreds turning up to take the plunge. This year’s event was ‘Brexit-themed’ with participants encouraged to bring Union Jack Flags to the beach. The event, which is held annually, saw a change in theme this year to reflect Britain’s departure from the EU next March.

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It had been a chilly start to the day with the temperature at mid-day being around 15 degrees when the swimmers dived in! The annual event is organized by GASA (The Gibraltar Amateur Swimming Association) in conjunction with the Caleta Hotel with monies raised going towards various local charities and the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity. Aside from the regular enthusiasts and those, who feel obliged to take the plunge in aid of a charitable event, sometimes, there are one or two participants turning up still inebriated from Christmas Day celebrations and who have more than likely lost a bet but it is all

All in all, it was very much a festive affair, with groups and organizations coming together for the occasion, and many using the event as a means of fundraising for different charities. Those, who carried out the swim, were afterwards treated to mince pies and brandy, along with the annual Polar Bear certificate. Though it was cold, money was raised by the many different groups and individuals for many local charities. For the record, the ‘Polar Bear Swim’ gets its name from the fact that polar bears are very strong swimmers and, according to research, are known to swim in Arctic waters for more than nine days at a stretch while humans in light clothing and a life-jacket can only handle about an hour maximum at such temperatures. Food for thought but it’s probably not a record worth testing!

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The Best Recipes of our Cuisine

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‘Valentine’s Day Recipes - Food of Love, Romantic Recipes for Two’

Oysters Kilpatrick

Treacle Tart Hearts

If your friends are oyster-wary then try them on this classic cooked recipe – Bet they come round quick

Make a sweet heart for your sweetheart – It doesn’t matter If It’s Valentine’s Day or not!

SERVES: 2-4 · PREPARATION: 10 minutes · INGREDIENTS: 3 bacon rashers, finely chopped - 2 tbsp fresh breadcrumbs - 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce - 4 tbsp double cream - 12 oysters - Lemon Hedges, to serve

HOW TO MAKE IT 1. Heat a frying pan and add the bacon. Fry gently in its own fat until browned, then add the breadcrumbs and brown them briefly. 2. Mix the Worcestershire sauce with the cream and divide it between the oysters, season well and then top each with some of the bacon and breadcrumb mixture. Grill until brown and crisp and serve with lemon wedges.

SERVES: 2 · PREPARATION: 20 minutes · COOK: 25 minutes plus chilling · INGREDIENTS: 200g cold, unsalted butter, cubed - 350g plain flour, plus extra for rolling out - ½ tsp ground ginger (optional) - 100g golden caster sugar - 1 egg yolk. FOR THE FILLING: 400g golden syrup - Finely grated zest of 1 lemon and juice of ½ - 100g white breadcrumbs

HOW TO MAKE IT 1. Blitz the butter, flour and ginger, if using, in a food processor until the mix looks like fine crumbs. Stir in the sugar, then add the egg yolk and 2tsp cold water. Pulse until the dough clumps together, or bring it together with a knife by hand. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and press into a smooth round. Chill for 30 minutes or until firm. 2. Roll out the pastry to the thickness of 2 x £1 coins and stamp out 8 x 11cm circles (or cut around a saucer and trim to fit trims). Line 8 x 10cm width heart-shaped tins with the

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pastry. Re-roll trimmings. With a small cutter, stamp out 8 hearts to decorate. Chill tins and hearts for 15 minutes or until firm. Heat oven to 170C and put a baking sheet in. 3. Stir the syrup, lemon juice and zest together. Divide the breadcrumbs between tins (they should reach to the top of the pastry), then spoon the syrup over slowly, adding more once the first lot has started to soak in. Top with the small pastry hearts. Put tins onto the hot baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes or until pastry is golden and the filling is orangy-gold and slightly set. Leave to cool for 15 minutes, then turn onto a wire rack. Serve just warm. Will keep for up to three days in an airtight container. Heat in a low oven for 5 minutes to warm through.

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What’s Happening Down Town?

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1. In a bid to further reduce our plastic Footprint, The Nautilus Project has moved away from using refuse bags for the Great Gibraltar Beach Cleans. 2. Lianne Garcia presenting a cheque for £4,750.00 to ‘The Gibraltar Welfare Society’; accepting the cheque on behalf of The Charity Organisation is Ms Conchita Triay. 3. Blast from The Past-Jamming at the Boat Show, May 2009; Jamming with ‘Sticky’, Clive, Victor and ‘Zooney’. 4. The Pavana Crest Cast At Mac Hall. 5. Two guitar virtuosos meet in Camden Town; Jaimis Mifsud met with Doug Aldridge. 6. The Winning Trio at the Miss Glamour 2018 Pageant. 7. Henry Valerga and Sir Joe Bossano share a Joke at the ‘A Boy from Red Sands’ book presentation.

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Cosmetic Surgery: Breast Augmentation Breast enlargement is the most widely requested cosmetic surgery procedure. We ask Aria Medical Group to tell us more What is a Breast Augmentation? Breast Enlargement surgery consists of increasing the volume of the breasts with implants thereby giving a more pleasant shape in proportion with the rest of the body. This procedure is chosen for many reasons; including to enhance shape after breast feeding or weight loss; to give a more youthful appearance; to correct asymmetry and to improve selfconfidence.

implants. These implants are up to 30% lighter than traditional implants and reduce gravitational stress on the breast soft-tissue. They have also been shown to retain shape and form in the long term. Motiva If you are looking for fuller breasts with a round aesthetic then Motiva offers sophisticated implants that give that younger, firmer result. In addition, their Ergonomix range is for those that want the look, feel and movement of a natural breast.

Breast Augmentation is one of the most frequently performed aesthetic surgery procedures and has the highest degrees of patient satisfaction. How long is the procedure? Breast augmentation is usually performed under general anaesthesia and takes approximately 1 ½ hours. The implants are placed according to the client’s needs either through a small incision in the axilla (the armpit), around the areola (nipple) or within the intra-mammary fold (beneath the breast). The implants are placed above or beneath the muscle depending on the patient’s physiology, the desired look, and the recommendations of the surgeon. How do you choose implants? The implants are chosen by the surgeon together with the patient. Modern implants, filled with co54 GLOBE MAGAZINE

hesive silicone gel, give excellent results and the highest standards of safety. The surgeon is able to choose from a very wide range of implants with various shapes (anatomical/ teardrop shaped or round); as well as volume and consistency of the gel; to offer the final result that the patient wishes to obtain.

Dr. Marco Vricella works with a number of internationally-approved suppliers. B-Lite If you enjoy sports and aerobic activities, then you may wish to consider B-Lite implants – the world’s first and only light-weight breast

What results can be expected? Results differ from person to person, depending on their health, age, the elasticity of their skin, whether they have been a smoker etc. Overall, breast augmentations provide very good results. Clients have said that not only do they look better, and clothes fit better but they have greater self-esteem and confidence. Aria Medical Group publishes client stories and testimonials on its website. Clients have said: ‘I could not be happier with the results. They are very natural!’ ‘The operation has boosted my self-confidence and I feel that this has been one of the best decisions I have ever taken.’

Dr Marco Vricella

‘I just want to say again how happy I am that I went ahead with

the op and how amazing the whole Aria Medical Group team is; especially Dr Vricella.’ FIND OUT MORE – with a FREE, private, consultation It is essential that you are well-informed before choosing to have a cosmetic surgery procedure. Aria Medical Group offers informative videos and case studies online at AriaMedicalGroup.com Yet nothing can replace the value of meeting a specialist cosmetic surgeon, face-to-face, who can not only answer all your questions, but assess your personal suitability for surgery and inform you of what to expect. That’s why Dr. Marco Vricella always meets every person that is considering a procedure with

Aria Medical Group. To book a free and private consultation in Gibraltar at College Clinic, contact Aria Medical Group: Tel: (+34) 671 639 353 info@ariamedicalgroup.com Aria Medical Group The Aria Medical Group team offers a wide range of cosmetic surgery procedures for both women and men, including: + Breast Augmentation + Breast Uplift + Breast Reduction + Tummy Tuck + Liposuction + Face Lifts + Eyebag Removal + Rhinoplasty www.ariamedicalgroup.com

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Estrella Galicia 1906 ‘Reserva Especial’ The Rivera brewery was founded in 1906 by José Maria Rivera Corral and is still owned and operated by the same family. In fact, his great grandson is currently in charge. The 1906 ‘Reserva Especial’ is brewed with double roasted malt for a full, rich flavour. With concentration of flavour and 6.5% alcohol content, Estrella Galicia 1906 ‘Reserva Especial’ has plenty of character. It is the selection of roasted malts and hops including ‘Hallertau Perle’ and ‘Nugget’ that accounts for the beer’s dark amber colour and distinct flavour. The beer produces a brilliant full head that is creamy and long lasting. When the original brewery was built in La Coruña, the commercial hub of the northern Spanish province of Galicia, it was dedicated to the manufacture of beer and ice. It really took off in the 1920s under the leadership of Ramon Rivera, son of the founder, who had studied in Hamburg and had become one of the first Spaniards to obtain a brewing diploma. Estrella Galicia celebrated its centenary in the presence of King Don Juan Carlos in 2006 and 1906, ‘Reserva Especial’ (Special Reserve), made at and named after the founding year of the Rivera brewery, is the culmination of a brewing tradition began in 1906 with a special beer for those, who prefer a taste and a more accentuated and rich flavour with a hint of bitterness. Its beautiful dark amber colour, the result of the use of an important amount of roasted malts and the use of Perle Hallertau hops, makes 1906 ‘Reserva Especial’ an elegant and perfectly balanced lager. 56 GLOBE MAGAZINE

This beer is made from carefully selected malts and hops, providing a good balance of aroma and bitterness. Its dark amber colour and pleasant roasted notes come from a generous use of roasted malts. The head is abundant and creamy, retained throughout drinking and leaving a characteristic “Belgian lace”. The alcohol is very well integrated and the sensation of alcohol in the mouth is mild and warm, without the roughness usually found in beers of the same alcohol content. Estrella Galicia 1906 ‘Reserva Especial’™ from ‘Hijos de Rivera’ is distributed in Gibraltar by Bon Milk of Unit 50, Harbours Deck, New Harbours Tel: 200 45644/200 47924, email: bonmilk@ gibtelecom.net

Estrella Galicia 1906 Reserva Especial gives you the aroma of strong toasted malt, with a taste that is thick, elegant and a hint of bitterness followed by a long lasting after taste. COUNTRY: Spain CATEGORY: Beer BRAND: Hijos de Rivera ABV 6.50% BOTTLE SIZE 330 ml

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Winter Party in Town 2018 Michael Legend’ and Corona Rock ‘Winter Party in Town

Photographs by Johnnie Bugeja

Headline acts Corona and ‘Michael Legend’, a Michel Jackson tribute act, stormed the stage at this year’s Winter Party in Town at Casemates Square. The show, which has previously been headlined by Boney M, ‘Remember’ – Queen Tribute, and ABBA Gold, saw the 90s ‘Queen of Dance’ Corona supported by ‘Michael Legend’ and other local acts in-

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cluding 24Seven, DJs Anthony Byrne and ‘No Limit Entertainment’, the Gibraltar Sea Scouts Pipe Band, Yalta Dance Studio and Danza Academy. Corona is an Italian ‘Eurodance’ music project fronted by Brazillian-born singer Olga de Souza, a Rio de Janeiro born artist, who grew up in a musical family. After working in a bank for years, Olga set off on her tra-

vels around the world and landed in Italy where she was soon discovered in 1994. Before long she had a debut release ‘The Rhythm of the Night’. The track was also distributed throughout Europe, topping the UK charts and selling more than one million copies making Corona a star world-wide and as they say, the rest is history! The

audience

Casemates

Square enjoyed her fun performance that included some of her lifetime hits. The performance by ‘Michael Legend’ paid homage to Michal Jackson and some of his most iconic songs and fashions. The upbeat performance saw ‘Michael Legend’ change costumes multiple times to reflect the costume for that song. Also at the event was Santa Claus, with his grotto and fun characters for all the children to enjoy.

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Refurbishment of George VI Letterbox at Alameda Estate

The Royal Gibraltar Post Office was recently able to undertake the refurbishment of the letterbox mounted on the Alameda Wall opposite the Gibraltar Fire Station. Although still functional, the box had fallen into a state of considerable disrepair with the main problem, however, proving to be the unreasonable, obstructive behaviour by some of the motorcyclists parking in the restricted area to its front. This had caused both access problems and a near-miss-accident incident. The letterbox is a Type B, wall, George VI, cast by W T Allen & Co, London. George VI (reigned 1936 to 1952) was the father of Queen Elizabeth II and only ascended to the throne

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upon the abdication of his older brother, Edward VIII, following his affair with Mrs Wallace Simpson. George VI famously refused to leave Buckingham Palace during the Blitz, even after it was bombed twice, and became a symbol of resoluteness for the British people during their darkest hour at the height of the Battle of Britain. His life-long struggle with the speech impediment that had hampered him from an early age was the basis for the film “The King’s Speech” (2010). He was introduced to smoking to “assist” with his impediment and ultimately died of lung cancer at the early age of 56. The works were carried out by Western Isles Limited to their usual impeccable standards.

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The letterbox has now further been fitted with a 5mm security slot.

DOG URINE-DAMAGE TO HERITAGE PILLAR BOXES Gibraltar is very fortunate in having a most comprehensive range of letterboxes as part of its heritage collection. These are now mostly irreplaceable, more so some of the rarer and older examples, with the ‘pièce de résistance’ being the Edward VIII, Type B pillar box by the Gibraltar Heritage Trust building at John Mackintosh Square. It is a part of the collection that forms the unique ‘A Right Royal Street’ phenomenon, being Main Street, the only street with an example pillar box from each of the Monarchs since their inception under Queen Victoria in 1852. To put the rarity of such a letterbox into con-

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text, only 271 Edward VIII boxes were cast in 1936. Of these, 161 were pillar boxes, 6 were wall boxes and 104 were Ludlow boxes for sub-post offices (but 76 of the latter were never issued with the Royal Cypher). Today, there are only some 60 of these boxes left in operation, with Gibraltar owning the only one outside the UK. The picture below shows the urine damage to the base and door of the Type A, Edward VII (Queen Victoria’s son, known as the “Peacemaker” and great-grandfather to Queen Elizabeth II) pillar box, which, located at Casemates by the entrance to Main Street, constitutes the first in the ‘Right Royal Street’ collection sequence. This is the first letterbox that most tourists see and is one of the more photographed. Dog urine contains urea, creatinine, uric acid, carbohydrates, enzymes, fatty acids, hormo-

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nes, sodium, potassium, chloride, magnesium, calcium and ammonia. It ‘eats’ into the cast iron from which the pillar boxes are made and no amount of water or bleach will help, given that enzymes are required to break down the affecting compound. Further, if the dog is medium sized or above, it can end up urinating into the letterbox door slit, thus contaminating the mail inside and causing very serious health and safety issues. Our dog pets are not to blame for such damage; their instinct is to territory-mark where another dog has fouled before. Irresponsible owners, however, are to blame, more so those that continue to offend after being made aware of the problem.

THE 1961 POST OFFICE ACT IS QUITE CLEAR ON THE SUBJECT AT SECTION 37 It reads: “No person shall place or attempt to place in or against any post office letterbox any fire, match, light, explosive substance, dangerous substance, filth, noxious or deleterious substan-

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ce, or fluid or commit a nuisance in or against any post office letterbox or do or attempt to do anything likely to injure the box or its appurtenances or contents”. Royal Mail in the UK has successfully prosecuted, under this section, dog owners, who

permit their dogs to urinate against letterboxes. We urge dog owners to act responsibly and help preserve our heritage pillar boxes. We further urge the public generally to assist by reporting incidents where dog owners continue to permit their dogs to damage our pillar boxes.

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Song writer Kristian Finally Makes It performer. One of the ways I test my music is with my family, if they start to get annoyed after three performances, I reckon that’s an OK song. They are my strongest critics, brutally honest and they won’t beat about the bush”.

Text by Joe Adambery

The annual song writer annual competition took place on December 28th at the ‘Rock on the Rock Club’ with the winner emerging as Kristian Celecia, who has previously been placed third and runner up in this event. I guess you could say that if at first you don’t succeed, you try and try again. Having known Kristian for a number of years and seen him develop as a performer too, for me it was only a question of time before he would notch up a composer prize. He has blossomed into a big voiced troubadour, who has the pulse on how current songs are written and how they should be performed to score points with an audience and a panel of judges. “My grandfather (Nick Celecia) was the constant guiding influence, I also learned piano early on and was always singing in choirs and once I learned to play the guitar self taught, I went back to study the piano further with Liz Heath and also had vocal coaching from Nathan Payas. With the vocal technique that Nathan taught me, I have really developed my performance. In UK, I did a B-Tec in song writing, which took about a year. After that, I came back and worked as a student teacher, which 68 GLOBE MAGAZINE

I thoroughly enjoyed. Now I’m going back to Brighton to finish my song writing degree at BIMM.” Kristian didn’t set out to be a songwriter but he ‘got the bug’ once he wrote a few songs and found that he had a better emotional connection to them than singing covers. He gauged his own deve-

lopment as a musician and songwriter by entering the competition, which he has finally won. “As a musician, you have to take every opportunity you get because one day there might not be any. I have played most venues in Gibraltar and done pubs and open mike nights in Brighton and that has helped me become a stronger

I ask him how he writes songs, is it melody first and then lyrics or is there any other way? “Normally I come across something that melodically sounds nice on guitar and that may become the hook. Maybe I’m on piano and that also happens. I can usually tell what sticks best and develop it from there. If I’m feeling creative, I may work on lyrics first, but normally I go for the chorus first. My songs are very ‘hooky’ (catchy). Song writing can be very lonely, it’s just you in your head and self criticism but you have to persevere. I have written songs about family, friends, girlfriends and life circumstances. My winning song this year is quite unique, it’s called ‘Hello for Me’ and it’s the opposite in lyric to another song I wrote called ‘Goodbye to You’ based on a previous break-up. This song has given me the opportunity to look at a break-up from the perspective of a new relationship and it has definitely changed the way I think about relationships.” Kristian has written many songs but so far he has only recorded

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a few of them and reckons that his catalogue has about eighteen good songs, which he comes back to and sings. He told me that he throws out around fifty ideas for songs before he settles on what he thinks better represents him as a song writer. He seems very level headed and focussed and I have no doubt that we will hear much

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more about him. On the night he won, he was very impressed with Emma Pereira and Gabriella Richardson and even thought that Gabriella might win. As it turned out he won, Layla Bugeya was second and Gabriella Richardson third. He thinks his stagecraft won over the audience and the judges on the night but he’s being

modest, the GLMS competition is all about songs and his is a strong one and that is why he won. He will finish his song writing degree in just over two years time and hopes to ‘try out music’ for a few years before coming back here to teach. He always wanted to teach and sha-

ring his musical and life experiences will make him a happy man if he doesn’t make the big time first. His cash prize was £400 for this competition and he has been happy to win it finally after three attempts. Congratulations and our best wishes for continuing success at whatever he sets out to achieve.

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Researchers find Pathological Signs of Alzheimer’s in Dolphins, whose brains are much like humans’ Text By Maria Carolina Gallego-Iradi (Assistant Scientist, University of Florida) & David Borchelt (Professor, Neuroscience, University of Florida)

www.theconversation.com

A team of scientists in the United Kingdom and the U.S. recently reported the discovery of pathological signs of Alzheimer’s disease in dolphins, animals whose brains are similar in many ways to those of humans. This is the first time that these signs – neurofibrilillary tangles 72 GLOBE MAGAZINE

and two kinds of protein clusters called plaques – have been discovered together in marine mammals. As neuroscience researchers, we believe this discovery has added significance because of the similarities between dolphin brains and human brains. The new finding in dolphins

supports the research team’s hypothesis that two factors conspire to raise the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease in dolphins. Those factors are: longevity with a long post-fertility life span – that is, a species living, on average, many years after the child-bearing years are over – and insulin

signaling. Gallego-Iradi, one of the authors of the paper, began the study on the dolphins’ brains more than a decade ago on the shores of Spain. It took several more years for other researchers to establish the connection between metabolic dysfunction and insulin resis-

Dolphins stranded in Spain between 2003 and 2006 led to Gallego Iradi’s findings about the Alzheimer’s pathology.

tance in dolphins and humans. This recent study also did that. Together, the insight into the similarities between dolphins and humans has led us to hypothesize that Alzheimer’s and diabetes are diseases not of old age but of a long post-fertility life span.

The samples represented three different species of dolphins (bottlenose, striped and Risso’s) stranded on the coasts of Spain. Their brains all had the same twisted strands and protein clusters in their brain as human patients with Alzheimer’s disease. They also had neuronal loss, strengthening the idea that dolphins and humans could have the same Alzheimer’s pathology.

A DISASTROUS DISEASE Alzheimer’s is a progressive brain disease that leads to memory loss and changes in cognitive ability. There is no cure, and the disease ultimately leads to death. It is hard to overstate the burden of the disease, both on those, who are diagnosed with it and their families. It is the sixth-leading cause of death in the U.S. Deaths from the disease in the U.S. rose 55 percent from 1999 to 2014. Alzheimer’s disease has two major pathological hallmarks: The development of clusters of a protein called beta-amyloid outside the cells and tangles of another protein called tau inside the cell. The protein clusters outside the cells are called senile plaques. The tangles inside are called neurofibrillary tangles. We saw both of these in the brains of the deceased dolphins.

THE BIG BRAIN THEORY Dolphins belong to an order of mammals called cetaceans that have adapted to live in the water. Although dolphins live in water and humans live on Earth, dolphins and humans are very much alike in some key ways. In the last 50-60 million years, the brains of dolphins and other cetaceans, including porpoises and whales, have hyperexpanded. So have hu-

man brains. This is a process called enchephalization.

Also, as do humans, dolphins have a highly evolved brain development and a very complex social relationship. This brain similarity with humans suggests the possibility that dolphins, as humans, have developed similar molecular machineries and pathological characteristics, including similar neurodegenerative diseases. And, cetaceans and humans live long. This is important, as longevity is one of the most relevant factors in neurodegenerative diseases. Cetaceans have longevity ranges between 20-100 years, which is enough time to develop brain amyloid deposits. Some aspects of Alzheimer’s pathology have been reported in a wide range of other animals. Our evolutionary relatives, such as apes and monkeys, and our pets, dogs and cats, develop one of the pathologies, the amyloid pathology. Amyloid plaques also have

been described in captive wild animals such as bears. But to see both plaques and tangles in another species is rare. We believe this makes our findings in dolphins of both neuritic plaque and tangle pathology in dolphins all the more remarkable.

STRANDED DOLPHINS LED TO THE FIRST DISCOVERY Cetaceans become stranded many times each year all over the world. This stranding generates alarm, and scientists study to understand why it happens. Some of the factors include poor water quality; animals living in very deep water who detect the shore too late; unbalance and confusion created by Earth’s magnetic field changes; contamination by heavy metals such as mercury, cadmium or zinc; or contamination by compounds such as PCBs and DDTs. Other possible causes are viruses and parasites, traumatic death, predation or fishing mutilation, or ship sonars interfering with animal echolocation.

Years after those findings, other scientists began to explore a possible connection between a failure in insulin signaling and Alzheimer’s. Dr. Simon Lovestone at the University of Oxford and Dr. Frank Gunn-Moore at the University of Saint Andrews began to develop a hypothesis that this failure in insulin signaling in humans, related to post-fertility longevity, could be a cause of Alzheimer’s in humans. And here’s another connection. Cetaceans are uniquely prone to a prediabetes state and are one of the few animals, other than humans, with a naturally long postfertility life span. We postulated a linked mechanism that led us to hypothesize that animals with a long postfertility lifespan would be at risk for both insulin resistance and Alzheimer’s. This hypothesis led us to the prediction that cetaceans and other animals with unusual longevity would be at risk for both insulin resistance and would have Alzheimers’ pathology – a prediction for which we have provided some proof in our recent article. GLOBE MAGAZINE 73

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The Three Kingsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Cavalcade 2019 Photographs by Charlene Figueras

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The Admiral Casino Trophy

re of one over par and the best senior was Norman Savitz with a score of 31 points. The best pair was Andrew Shore and Aidan Connelly with a combined score of 73 points. As shown below, Andrew was also the Category 1 winner, the longest drive winner and featured in the nearest to the pin list. Aidan also won the prize for nearest to the pin in 3 on a par 5.

OUR HANDICAP CATEGORY PRIZES WERE WON AS FOLLOWS: Category 1 (handicaps 0 to 12): Matthew Bruce-Smith was the runner up with a score of 36 points and the winner was Andrew Shore with 39 points. The Admiral Casino Trophy, played in an individual Stableford format, was contested on the Heathland Course at Alcaidesa on Sunday 9th December 2018. Designed by Dave Thomas, the Heathland is very links-like in character, over 6,500 yards in length and a thorough test of golf – especially in the wind. On Sunday, with the course in good condition, excellent greens, and a breakfast of coffee and bacon rolls, even a virtually windless day could not help many of the 76 GLOBE MAGAZINE

Med Golf members to conquer the course. There were some exceptions - read on! Whatever their score, everyone was treated to the now traditional Med Golf Christmas drinks and tapas on their return to the Clubhouse and enjoyed the day. The champion of the day, winner of the Admiral Casino Trophy and a 60€ Med Golf voucher was Gavin Grimes with 41 points, 2 points clear of his nearest rival.

Relatively new to Med Golf, Gavin has already stamped his mark on the Order of Merit and shown great potential for lowering his handicap. The best gross score was 75 by Matthew Bruce-Smith, a great achievement on the day off handicap 3. Mathew was also runner up in Category 1 with 36 points and nearest to the pin in 2 on a par 4 as shown below. The best gross on the par 3s was won by Jordan Brown with a sco-

Category 2 (handicaps 13 to 22): Joe Sanchez with 34 points was runner up for the second event in a row and Matthew Robinson, following his success at winning the Hunter Properties Trophy at the last Med Golf event was the winner with 38 points. Category 3 (handicap 23 and above): Nicholas Farr took the runner up slot with 35 points having won at the previous event, and the winner was Alex Ashmo-

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re with a score of 36 points. Nearest the pin winners were: Duncan Hamilton twice, Andrew Shore, and Paul Nash. Matthew Bruce-Smith was nearest to the pin in 2 on a par 4 and Aidan Connelly was winner of nearest the pin in 3 on a par 5. The prize presentation was accompanied by Med Golf Christmas drinks and tapas, which were both plentiful and went down very well indeed. Everyone was thanked for their support and wished a Happy Christmas and all the best for the New Year on behalf of Med Golf. Prizes were presented by Tim Mitchell on behalf of Casino Admiral who sponsored the day. The scorecard draw prizes were won as follows: A one litre bottle of Johnnie Walker Red Label whisky (courtesy of Saconne and Speed) was won, appropriately, by Mike Cowburn. Mike donated three Copies of the 78 GLOBE MAGAZINE

New Golf Rules for 2019, which were won by Roger Griffiths, Louis Calvente and Douglas Casciaro. Guests are made very welcome at all events and are encouraged to join us and enjoy a great day out. While they are not eligible to win the trophy or category prizes, they can win the many minicompetition prizes and even a best guest prize if warranted by numbers, and of course the scorecard draw at the end of the prize presentation.

THE HUNTER PROPERTIES ORDER OF MERIT Matthew Robinson Nick Farr Matt Charlesworth Anthony Bull Roy Azopardi Nicky Sanchez Matthew Warner Louis Calvente Matthew Bruce-Smith James Barr Mike Cowburn Andrew Brown

Gavin Grimes John Robbins Chris Warren Ian McNee Eddie Diaz Jordan Brown Mark Henderson Tommy Kai Only the top 10 will qualify for next summer’s Med Golf Masters. Hunter Properties can list your property in Gibraltar or Spain, checkout our unique 3D presentation https://hunter.properties/

INVITATION Our next tournament is the Johnnie Walker Trophy at Rio Real on Sunday 20th January 2019. A new course on the Med Golf Schedule, Rio Real is situated on the A-7 coast road between Marbella and the Costa del Sol Hospital. Located on gently rolling terrain, the 18 holes and par 72 Golf Course was designed by Spanish golf course architect Javier Arana, and is not considered

to be particularly hazardous. See our website for further information: medgolfmembers.com.

MORE NEWS FROM MED GOLF

Med Golf has its own Facebook page where you can see photos from the competition day. We’d be delighted if you’d join our group for up-to-date news and contribute to on-going golfing discussions. We created the page to enable members and visitors to discuss anything about golf, give feedback on courses they have played, offer tips to others they have come across and much more. You can find us on Facebook simply by searching for ‘Med Golf ’ or visit our website and navigate from there. For more details on our full schedule and the benefits of joining Med Golf, including discounts in all the Hunter brothers businesses, for just £40 per year or £60 for family membership (limited to two), please visit our website: medgolfmembers.com.

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The Hunter Properties Trophy

Sunday, November 11th saw Med Golf ’s return to Estepona for the Hunter Properties Trophy. With scenic views of the Mediterranean Sea and the Sierra Bermeja Mountains, the course, which offers a fair challenge to golfers of all levels, had recovered remarkably well from the recent heavy downfalls of rain. The unseasonably warm weather, no wind and the generous greens that were in excellent condition combined to provide perfect conditions for golf, and a hearty breakfast of coffee and bacon bap set up the 44 players well to take on the challenge. 80 GLOBE MAGAZINE

The best result of the day was 40 Stableford points scored by Matthew Robinson, who won the ‘Hunter Properties’ Trophy and two green fees on the San Roque Club Old course courtesy of Jyske Bank. Matthew’s win was particularly sweet as he scored 42 points the last time out at Estepona in November 2017 to win the Category 3 prize only to be beaten on handicap to the Trophy, yet still incurring some major surgery to his own handicap. The best gross score was 76 strokes achieved by Chris Warren, who was also the Category 2 winner and best senior with 39 points.

The longest drive was won by Andrew Shore The best gross score on the 5 par three holes was Pete Cotton at level par and the best team was Aidan Connolly and Andrew Shore with a combined score of 69 points.

OUR HANDICAP CATEGORY PRIZES WERE WON AS FOLLOWS: Category 1 (handicaps 0 to 12): Chris Warren was the winner with a score of 39 points beating Matthew Charlesworth who scored 35 points into second place. Category 2 (handicaps 13 to

22): The winner was Chris Delaney with a score of 37 points. The runner up was Joe Sanchez with 34 points beating James Barr on handicap. Category 3 (handicap 23 and above): Damian White was the winner with 34 points and the runner up was Andrew Brown who beat Eddie Diaz on handicap both with 31 points. Nearest the pin winners were: Hans Henrik Jensen, James Barr, Roy Azopardi, Joe Sanchez and Pete Cotton. Steve Munns was nearest the pin on a par 4 and Andrew Shore was

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winner of nearest the pin in 3 on a par 5. Prizes were presented by the sponsor, Phil Sztejnmiler, who also played alongside and scored a very fine 39 points. Prize giving was followed by a card draw for a one litre bottle of Johnnie Walker Whiskey donated by Saccone and Speed (Gibraltar) Ltd and won by Moranda Garnlund. The Guests are encouraged and made very welcome at all events. While they are not eligible to win the trophy or category prizes, they can win the many mini-

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competition prizes and even a Best Guest prize if warranted by numbers, and of course the scorecard draw at the end of the prize presentation.

THE TOP TWENTY Only the top ten will qualify for next years Masters. Alex Ashmore Sam Broderick Alistair Knight Chris Delaney Matthew Robinson Andrew Brown Andrew Licudi Paul Williams

Joe Sanchez Mike Cowburn Matthew Bruce-Smith Jason Roberts Damian White Matt Charlesworth Simon Dyson Anders Ostergaard Nick Farr Roy Azopardi Graeme Powrie Steve Stonefield Med Golf has its own Facebook page where you can see photos from the competition day. We’d be delighted if you’d join our

group for up-to-date news and contribute to on-going golfing discussions. We created the page to enable members and visitors to discuss anything about golf, give feedback on courses they have played, offer tips to others they have come across and much more. You can find us on Facebook simply by searching for ‘Med Golf’ or visit our website and navigate from there. For more details on our full schedule and the benefits of joining Med Golf for just £40 per year or £60 for family membership (limited to two), please visit our website: medgolfmembers.com

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